Portraits, commissioned and otherwise, are a tradition as old as art itself, with representations made of great men and women for posterity from the time of the ancient Babylonians to the modern day. In Britain, since the 1960s and the advent of the celebrity photographer, the number of great men and women depicted on canvas or in sculpture has declined... although it remains a lively adjunct of fine art as a visit to the National Portrait Gallery will attest. Since 1997 however, the traditional portrait has enjoyed a strong resurgence. This fine gallery has played a large part in the rejuvenation of commissioned portraiture. It is well worth a visit, even if you are not quite ready to have yourself cast in bronze for generations to admire.
The gallery is run by Sara Stewart, and she has an impressive and versatile stable of artists on her books, from detailed portraitists to cubists, sculptors and photographers. This roster of talent includes Nicky Philipps, Nick Bashall, Johnny Yeo, Tom Leveritt, Sergei Pavlenko and Howard Morgan... and you can see examples of their work in the Chelsea gallery. Portraits commissioned through the gallery have included HM The Queen, HRH The Prince of Wales, The Sultan of Brunei, The Duke of Westminster, Rupert Murdoch, Sir Laurence Olivier (as Lear), Sir Roy Strong, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd and Ronnie Wood - to name but a few.
Visitors to the gallery can admire copies of these works, and some original work by the artists, to help them get an idea of how they would like see themselves remembered through history. ~This is a fascinating gallery in which to spend a few hours, and those with the means will find themselves sorely tempted to erect some kind of memorial.
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Portraits, commissioned and otherwise, are a tradition as old as art itself, with representations made of great men and women for posterity from the time of the ancient Babylonians to the modern day. In Britain, since the 1960s and the advent of the celebrity photographer, the number of great men and women depicted on canvas or in sculpture has declined... although it remains a lively adjunct of fine art as a visit to the National Portrait Gallery will attest. Since 1997 however, the traditional portrait has enjoyed a strong resurgence. This fine gallery has played a large part in the rejuvenation of commissioned portraiture. It is well worth a visit, even if you are not quite ready to have yourself cast in bronze for generations to admire.
